dancin' queen...

Yelp...that'll be my new title just as soon as I can get all of this soreness worked out :-) My sister gave me the Wii Just Dance 3 game for Christmas and I finally got to try it out on Sunday night. I had seen commercials and thought it looked like a lot of fun, but I couldn't stop! It's such a fun way to get a little exercise! Watch out girlies...I may have to throw a Just Dance party at my house soon ;-)

big adventures ahead...

More than likely, those of you who read my blog regularly have already heard a lot about our recent news. Several months ago, Jesse was nominated for a program at work called the Genesis Park Experience. In a nutshell, the experience is a global leadership development program that is offered to a small percentage of managers in the world. Each year, a group of individuals attend this program for a ten-week period internationally. After completing his application and going through the interview process, he received notification that he had been chosen! This year, the three location choices for the program were Shaghai, China; Toronto, Canada; and Capetown, South Africa, which was our first choice. We were very excited to find out that we will be part of the group traveling to Capetown this year!

So...although there are still lots of details I'm unsure of, I do know the basics. We'll be leaving the weekend of June 9th and we'll return some time mid to late August. Jesse's life as far as daily schedule will pretty much remain the same. As for me and E, we'll have plenty of time on our hands to explore the area, meet new folks, and spend lots and lots of time together! Although it will be summer here, we will be there during their winter months. It should be fairly mild temperature-wise, but we're expecting it to be pretty damp/rainy during our time there. We'll be living in a corporate apartment and will most likely have everything we need within walking distance.

Being the geographically-challenged person that I am, I was completely clueless about Capetown when Jesse first mentioned it. From what I've read and seen in pictures, it seems to be an amazing place. Jesse has a couple of friends who have visited Capetown and he's talked to other individuals who have completed this program. Based on what they've had to say, we feel very blessed to have been given this opportunity. However, this does not mean that I'm anticipating this trip without worries. In fact, my nervousness is definitely out-weighing my excitement at this point. The travel will be very long and with a 2 1/2 year-old I know it will be a challenge. I'm also used to having family close by to lend a helping hand with E when I need some time alone to run errands or just take a breather. Please pray for our family and this upcoming trip. I know that Jesse has been chosen to go to Capetown to gain knowledge that will make him even more successful at work. But, I believe with all of my heart, that we've all been chosen to go to share Jesus in some way.

Although Jesse will want to shoot me for doing this, I've got to get in a formal "congrats" to him before I end. I've always known that my husband is smart and great at what he does, but he continues to amaze me everyday with his ability to juggle his duties at work, at church and at home. He's like a real-life Superman :-) This is a major and well-deserved accomplishment for him. Many congrats to my Hermie!

I'm posting some of my favorite pics that I have found online so far...pretty soon, I'll be posting my own pics and will actually tell you something about them :-)

in the boonies...

Wow...this week has really been a hard return to reality after a great weekend in Boone. On Friday, myself and several of my favorite girlfriends headed up the hill for some much needed R&R. My friend Kristen was gracious to let us stay at her family's mountain house where we had tons of space and beautiful views! I'd say we definitely packed as much fun as we possibly could into the weekend...we shopped, played games, watched a movie, danced, cooked, ate lots of yummy food, talked, and laughed until we were sore.

Leslie, who is also a cousin of mine, will be leaving us soon to live overseas for at least a few years. Our weekend get-away was perfect in that we got to spend some quality time with her before she leaves. I know we'll all miss her bunches, but I also know that we're all really excited to hear about the great things in store for her and her family while they're away.

When we were on our way home on Sunday, I kept thinking to myself how so very grateful I am to have this incredible group of girlfriends in my life. Most all of us have been together since elementary school, so we've stuck together through a lot. After all of these years, I'd have to say that our times together just seem to be getting better and better....I'm looking forward to many, many more :-)

L to R: Whitney, Susie, Kendra, Stacy, Leslie, Me, Kristen

it's a new year!

Jesse and I welcomed in 2012 alongside of some very special friends and family. We had a nice dinner on Saturday night with Mr. and Mrs. Mark :-) On Sunday, we went to church and then headed to my grandma's house for a traditional New's Year Day lunch and family fun. The lunch was
dee-lish (I don't think that's a real word but I really like it)! Anyway, Maw-maw had given Eli a cardboard spaceship as one of his Christmas gifts. She gave him a house like it last year and you can tell by the looks of it that he absolutely loved it. The spaceship has outlined designs all over it that you can fill in with crayons or markers. So...we had a coloring party. Eli thought that he was really something when Maw-maw, Aunt Angie, Pop, Daddy and Mommy all joined in on the coloring fun!

I can't believe we have already begun another new year again. Life really does fly. To all who read this, I hope that 2012 will be the best year for you yet. I wish for you good health, many loved ones to share life with, and that this year will draw you closer to your Savior than ever before.

around the house...

With some extra time on my hands over the Christmas break, I was able to get a little creative around the house. I saw both of these ideas on Pinterest and loved them...

My Paw-paw's old rake re-purposed...I love having a part of him in our house :-)

The yarn wreaths on Pinterest were made using foam wreath forms. I didn't have one, so I used a paper plate and a piece of cardboard. I felt like I was back in Kindergarten completing an art project :-)

a trip to the market and through the woods...

I've been wanting to visit the WNC farmer's market in Asheville for a while now. On Friday, Jesse and I headed up there to check it out. They had lots of great fresh produce, canned goodies, and homemade crafts. I can imagine that it is an incredible place to go when all of the yummy fruits are in season! After being at the market for a while, we headed into downtown to try out a new place for lunch and walk around a bit. We ate at a place called The Lab. I had a burger that was topped with bleu cheese crumbles, caramelized onions and au poivre sauce. I ordered the brussel sprouts as my side. Every bit of it was spectacular! I highly recommend it!

(I didn't take this pic, but this is The Lab)

Our market finds...I was so excited about the green tomato pickles and pickled beets...Jesse not so much. Guess I'll just have to enjoy them all by myself ;-)

These nifty little things are flowers made from pumpkin and mustard seeds. They also had brooches made out of the same flowers...they were too cute!

Yesterday, Eli and I spent some time out by the R. Y. McAden River. We enjoyed a Chick-fil-a picnic on some logs, found lots of cool trees and plants, and soaked up some beautiful sunshine. It was a perfect day! It was a great reminder that in the new year, I really want to spend more time appreciating God's creation! Here are some pics of our fun on the trail...

Waterfront dining :-)

At times, E very much resembled Mowbli from the Jungle Book :-)

Mission accomplished